This invention generally relates to protective armor and more particularly to a composite armor configuration that provides an effective defensive barrier against various ballistic threats including armor piercing projectiles.
Recent developments in armor piercing projectiles, such as the metal-jacketed and teflon coated bullet, have made it imperative to develope an armor system that will defeat such a ballistic threat. While many configurations of composite armor have been proposed in the art to defeat various specific armor piercing threats, these suffer in many applications from being too heavy, too costly, and not altogether effective against the newer projectiles.
This invention is a marked improvement in the state of the art by the provision of an armor system configuration that is suitable for panel construction as may be applied to personnel shelters of various types and also for vehicle applications, which armor has proved effective in defeating 30 caliber armor piercing, 30 caliber ball, NATO ball, M-16 and teflon coated projectiles impacting at velocities equal to or less than muzzle velocity. Furthermore, while providing an effective defensive barrier against these type ballistic threats from the outside, it also provides an effective reverse offensive threat to personnel attacking from the outside by reason of effecting a granade or shrapnel barrage to the outside when shot with an armor piercing projectile from the inside.